I realized that I am going to see X-Men III just because-- you know, "Just Because." It got decent reviews, but all the critics pointed out that the movie could have been so much better, due to the inherent social commentary ripe in the "mutant cure" concept. It just decides to have action, and lots of it. Hence, I'm going to see it.
I wonder about my movie-watching habits--why am I so willing to see silly movies like X-Men or MI:III, when there are plenty of more serious movies that actually have something to say about the world. Like the Constant Gardener--that movie sticks with you and makes you think of Africa, and not because of the anticipated "Brangelina" baby. (on a sidenote--Barbara Kingsolver's "The Poisonwood Bible" is an excellent, heart-wrenching book that takes place in Africa. One thing I always remember when I think of that book is one of the characters points out that Africa as a whole is not meant to support the amount of people currently living there, and that, if one looked at it from an evolutionary, nature-in-the-balance standpoint, diseases like AIDs had a purpose in keeping the numbers down. I remember wondering that Kingsolver could include such an un-p.c. comment, regardless of whether it's the character, not the author, speaking).
Summer's End
7 years ago
3 comments:
Funny that you should mention Poisonwood as it's been on my mind a lot recently. I visited my parents over spring break and took it for my mom to read. Mi and I had read it a couple of years ago and were moved by it, and I thought it might be interesting for my mom to read from the POV of a missionary. It might have been a little sadistic of me to have her read it, but she absolutely loved it! My mom doesn't read fiction, and it took me over 10 years to get her to read LotR (she loved it), so for her to love this really meant a lot. As for the overcrowding of Africa comment, I think it's a pragmatic observation, though one that could definitely be misconstrued.
I'm as curiuos about your movie going habits as you are. Popcorn flicks certainly have their time and place, but I think it's important to balance entertainment with education and exploration. Of course, I'm an opinionated arse, so I tend to like the "message movies."
In my defense (:)) I want to see Munich, Syriana, & Good Night, and Good Luck. Whether those qualify as serious movies, remains to be seen.
Do you have a resource guide/website to refer to when checking out what kinds of less-popular, yet worthy movies are out there? The libraries' movie collection is always 1/2 empty, and Blockbuster doesn't exactly encourage browsing.
To be honest, Entertainment Weekly is a good starting place. They usually review at least one or two indie films that are worth seeing. Variety also provides a great resource, though I'm not sure Lexpublib subscribes. If not, the UK Fine Arts library does.
I'm not sure of your taste in novels, but if you enjoy Gothic romance, political and social intrigue, magical realism, and whatever it is that Umberto Ecco writes (philosophical detective novel?), you ought to read Shadow of the Wind. I know I'm setting myself up to be disappointed by recommending it so highly, but it truly is a masterpiece. Skip Book of Flying and read this! (=
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